


sourdough bread

by tabfics



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Alternate Universe - Bakery, Fluff, Kenma runs a bakery, Kuroo has a crush, Kuroo is a loyal customer, M/M, kinda a meet cute scenario, slow burn for a one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21959902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabfics/pseuds/tabfics
Summary: Kuroo starts visiting a particular bakery in December. Maybe he keeps coming back for the sourdough bread, maybe he keeps coming back for the cute boy who works at the counter.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 12
Kudos: 123





	sourdough bread

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cosmogony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmogony/gifts).



> Hello! This is a fic I wrote for Christmas. Merry Christmas Christy! I love you!!

It was the first day of December. There was but a mere breeze as Kuroo Tetsurou walked down the bustling sidewalks in long strides. The city was alive with the music of car horns and Christmas chatter, cold breaths and trembling children in their puffy coats. 

Kuroo took a left down a familiar side street lined with shops and stores. He took a glimpse at a bright pink sign before him and smiled as he opened the big glass doors to a bakery he had seen many times before, but had never bought from. 

As he walked in, the sweet smell of baking bread tinged with alcohol tingled at his nose. He walked to the front counter where an unenthusiastic, tired boy stood before a register. He asked Kuroo, “What can I get you?” 

Kuroo bought a loaf of sourdough bread, smiling as he left the bright storefront and walked home. 

On December third, Kuroo came across the bakery street once again. He stopped into a convenience store for milk, eyeing a gift card as he approached the counter. He bought a gallon of milk and a Christmas gift card for his mother. 

He left the convenience store and let his legs guide him to the bakery, where the doorbell chirped as he walked inside the warmth of the shop. 

He walked to the front counter where the same boy from two days ago worked. Kuroo peeped at his name tag, it read ‘Kozume’. He thought that was a pretty name. 

“You’re back again,” the boy, Kozume, murmured as Kuroo examines the shelves of baked goods. 

Kuroo nodded. “A friend of mine is celebrating a birthday,” he replied, taking a bag of sugar cookies off the shelf and placing them before Kozume. “He likes sweets.” 

Kozume nodded. 

Kuroo bought the cookies and took for home. 

On December seventh, Kuroo drove himself and his friend Bokuto to the bakery. No other stops, no wandering. Kuroo was out of sourdough bread. His mother didn’t like that. 

Kuroo grinned as he noticed Kozume working again. He waved and said, “I’m back! This is my friend, Bokuto.” 

Kozume nodded. “Another birthday?” 

“I need more bread.” 

Kozume waited, picking at his nails as Kuroo gazed at the table in the middle of the tiny shop, covered in various loaves of bread. He found a sourdough loaf quickly and placed it at the counter while Bokuto dawdled.

“You look nice today,” Kuroo tells Kozume as the employee rings his bread up. They exchange money quickly and Kozume looks as if a blush dusts his cheeks. 

“I- Thank you.” He purses his lips and watches as Kuroo turns to leave before calling out, “What's your name?” 

“Kuroo!” 

Kuroo and Bokuto leave, but it only takes a moment for the latter to make a comment about Kuroo’s little crush. 

On December 12th, Kuroo drives back to the bakery. Kozume is working. Kuroo wonders if the boy works every single day—if maybe he owns the bakery. Kuroo has never seen anyone else there. 

“You’re back, already?” Kozume marvels as Kuroo walks in, brushing the snow off of his jacket. He locks his car from inside the shop and listens as it beeps. 

“I am!” Kuroo chortles, then teases, “Didja miss me?” 

Kozume shrugs. “I have no other regulars.” 

Kuroo grins. “Do you work here every day?” He asks as he picks up another loaf of bread. Instead of going directly to the counter though, he looks around for any more goods his mother or friends would like. He settles on having Kozume pick out of a box of cookies in the display case for him. 

“I work here most days,” Kozume murmurs as he puts gloves on to help Kuroo with his cookies. “What kinds do you want?” 

Kuroo picks out variously painted sugar cookies and Kozume listens intently, looking up every few seconds to nod and make eye contact with Kuroo. Tetsurou watches as his hair falls in his face when he bends down, he smiles as Kozume shakes it out of his eyes. 

As Kozume clicks on the register, Kuroo catches another glimpse of his nametag. He asks, “your name is Kozume, right?” 

Kozume nods. “You can call me Kenma if you would like. That’s what my friends call me.” 

Kuroo’s heart leaps. “I’m your friend?” 

Kenma snickers. “I see you more often than most of my friends. You keep buying all these carbs and you’re going to get fat.” 

Kuroo blushes. “It’s not all for me.” 

“Good,” Kenma nods, taking Kuroo’s yen and exchanging his goods. “I like seeing you around here.” 

Kuroo leaves, his heart fluttering in his chest. 

On December 14th, Kuroo finds himself at the bakery once again. He doesn’t need anything, but he was in the area and thought to stop by and see his friend, Kenma. 

As he walks inside, a surge of warmth overcomes him and he smiles, sighing softly. He looks up to the counter, but Kenma isn’t there. Instead, there’s a boy with dark hair and sharp blue eyes. 

“Hello,” Kuroo murmurs, looking at the table of bread. He knits his eyebrows when he can’t find the type he likes. He then asks the employee, “Do you happen to have any sourdough bread?” 

The employee shakes his head. “Kozume wasn’t here this morning to make it. Maybe check back tomorrow.” 

Kuroo nods. “Can you tell him that Kuroo said hello?” 

The boy at the counter perks up a bit, he grins. “So  _ you’re _ the infamous Kuroo. I personally don’t think you’re as ‘hot’ as Kenma described you.” 

Kuroo’s cheeks immediately start burning. “He said what about me?” 

The boy purses his lips and grins. “He thinks you’re very pretty. And he talks about you. A lot. He gets grumpy when you don’t come to see him.” 

Kuroo feels as a slight grin tugs on his lips. “I’m going to be out of town the next few days. Will you tell him?” 

The boy nods. “He’ll be upset that he won’t see you,” the boy says, voice sing-songy. 

Kuroo grins and picks up a different loaf of bread, setting it on the counter. He reads the boy’s name tag, it says ‘Akaashi’. 

Akaashi ticks his tongue at Kuroo’s choice of goods. “Kenma says you buy a lot of bread.” 

Kuroo scoffs. “My mom likes it.” 

Akaashi scrunches his nose. “You live with your mom? Loser.” 

“I don’t live with her.  _ She _ lives with  _ me _ ,” Kuroo says. “She’s too old to live by herself now, and I’m her only son.” 

Akaashi nods. “So you’re a sap. Kenma said you were very kind.” 

Akaashi asks for Kuroo’s yen and he searches through his wallet to give it, getting his bread in return. “Tell him I’ll be back on the twentieth, okay?” 

“Okay,” Akaashi yawns, grimacing. “I’ll tell him.” 

Kuroo takes his bread and leaves, thinking of the things Kenma said about him. 

On December 20th, Kuroo drives to the bakery before he drives home. He and his mother spent the past few days with his aunt, and Kuroo has thought about Kenma a lot. The only downside in this situation is that Kuroo has to bring his mother into the store, since she rode in his car with him and doesn’t like to be alone. 

He holds her hand and her other hand rests on her cane as they walk into the shop. Kenma, at the counter, immediately perks up and splits a full-tooth grin as Kuroo walks inside. 

“Kuro! You’re back!” He calls out happily, leaning on the counter. Kuroo closes the door behind him and his mother and smiles. 

“Hey Kenma,” he says, leading his mother to look at a display of sweets. “This is my mom.” 

“Hello Mrs. Kuroo,” Kenma says, then pauses. “Right?” 

Kuroo nods. “My first name is Tetsurou.” 

Kenma grins. “Cute.” 

“Tetsu, where’s the sourdough bread you always get?” Mrs. Kuroo asks, completely ignoring Kenma. She ambles around with her walking cane and sneers at the table full of bread. 

“Here, Mama,” he says and picks up a loaf.

Kenma watches them from the counter, endeared. “Akaashi told me you dropped by when I was sick.” 

Kuroo nods. “Did he tell you I would be gone?” 

Kenma nods. “He did.” 

Kuroo cracks a grin and hands Kenma the bread he’s going to buy. “Did he talk to you about how much he told me? We talked about you.” 

Kenma cocks an eyebrow. “You did, huh?” 

Kuroo nods and smoothly proceeds with, “He told me that I wasn’t as hot as you told him I was.” 

Kenma freezes and looks at his customer with wide, doe-like eyes. “I didn’t say that.” 

Kuroo cocks his head. “You didn’t, huh? So you don’t think I’m hot?” 

Kenma blinks and blushes, eyes scattering to look anywhere but at Kuroo. He notices Kuroo’s mother completely ignoring them, in her own little world on the other side of the shop. 

“Kenma,” Kuroo says, voice suave and deep. “Do you think I’m hot?” 

Kenma, blushing, looks down at the counter. “I mean, objectively, yeah.” 

Kuroo rolls his eyes. “What about subjectively. Do  _ you _ personally think I’m hot?” 

Kenma flushes harder and the redness creeps down his neck. Kuroo loves teasing him, watching him as he stands defenseless. “Yeah, maybe a little bit,” he eventually whispers, not making eye contact. 

Kuroo reaches across the counter and brushes his hand against Kenma’s cheek. “You’re pretty nice to look at yourself, Kenma,” Kuroo murmurs, touching his thumb to Kenma’s cheekbone before pulling away. 

Kenma, trembling, rings Kuroo up and takes his money. Kuroo walks across the shop and hands his mom their bread and tells her to go ahead outside. She bickers with her son for a moment before obliging as Kuroo walks back to the counter. 

“Do you like me, Kenma?” Kuroo asks, lightly. He stands a few feet away, innocently watching the blonde. 

Kenma scoffs. “Of course I do.” 

Kuroo grimaces. “You know what I mean, Kenma.” 

Kenma nods. “I know.” 

Kuroo is taken aback and blushes in return, watching as Kenma starts to giggle. He asks, “Do you want to go on a date sometime, Kuroo?” 

Kuroo is about to respond when the shop’s door opens and his mom yells inside, “It’s cold, Tetsurou! I want to go home!” 

Kuroo jumps, eyes wide as he nods at Kenma. “I—Yes. I’ll be back tomorrow, okay? We’ll plan it then!” 

He quickly waves Kenma goodbye with a goofy grin before going to take his mother back to their car, bickering all the way. 

Kenma shoves his face in his hands to hide his dopey smile. 

On December 22nd, Kuroo races back to the bakery in the morning to find Kenma humming as he sweeps the front of the shop. 

“Good morning, Kuro,” he chortles. Kuroo is taken aback when he sees Kenma’s hair pinned up and out of his face, his orangey eyes glistening in the artificial lights. His heart pounds. 

“Kenma,” he mutters, biting his lip. “I like your hair like that.” 

Kenma grins. “Thank you. I like it when you blush like that.” 

Kuroo’s cheeks turn even redder, Kenma giggles over it and Kuroo tries to hide his face. 

“Where do you want to go out, Tetsurou?” Kenma asks, placing his broom and pan behind the counter. He grabs his apron and ties it on, humming to himself. Kuroo thinks he looks adorable. 

“I-I don’t know,” Kuroo manages to spit, forgetting his words, as he’s too busy watching Kenma. “Anywhere.” 

Kenma nods. “I have an idea,” he says, a smirk plastered to his face. 

Kuroo’s heart swarms. 

“I close at five tomorrow. You come around closing time and I’ll drive us,” Kenma offers, to which Kuroo eagerly agrees. “Alright. I’ll see you then.” 

Kuroo bites his lip. “Do you mind if I linger awhile?” 

Kenma grins. “Not at all.” 

Kuroo grins brightly before leaning on the counter beside a working Kenma. “Do you own this bakery?” 

Kenma nods. “It was passed down to me from my mother before she retired.” 

Kuroo grins. “That’s awesome.” 

“Yeah, I like it here. I love to bake,” Kenma says. “Where do you work? Are you in school?” 

Kuroo shakes his head. “I graduated last year. I’m a school teacher,” he grins, then laughs. “It’s my first year teaching though. I’m not very good at it yet.” 

Kenma looks up, beaming. “I love kids. Sometimes after school primary schoolers will ride their bikes here and I give them free cookies.” 

Kuroo smiles. “That’s very sweet of you.” 

Kenma nods. “I like to give back to the community. Whatever doesn’t sell I always give. There’s a lot of homeless people in Tokyo,” he sighs. “I hate seeing people suffer.” 

Kuroo nods. “My mother used to spend all of her time doing charity work before she retired. She can hardly get around anymore though, so she lives with me.” 

“I live by myself,” Kenma says, picking crumbs off the counter. “Well, that’s not true. I have a cat. Her name is Apple Pie.” 

Kuroo snorts. “Apple Pie?” 

“Do you not like that name?” Kenma asks, completely serious. Kuroo breaks out laughing. 

“You named your cat Apple Pie!” 

Kenma nods. “Yes. That’s her name. I don’t see why you think it’s so funny.” 

The two go on talking, customers begin to flood in and out, but Kuroo remains. 

He doesn't realize that it’s closing time until Kenma is putting his apron up and has turned the sign. 

“Oh, wow. I stayed the whole time—” Kuroo murmurs. Kenma grins. 

“I liked having the company. Thank you.” 

Kenma walks up and steps onto his tiptoes to press a soft kiss to Kuroo’s cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow at five, yeah? For our date.” 

Kuroo grins.  _ For our date. _

“I’ll be here.” 

Kenma nods. “Good. I can’t wait.” 


End file.
